There’s a distinct change in approach evident already at the blue half of Manchester under Pep Guardiola. When the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was announced to be the next manager of Manchester City, everybody had their fair share of envisions about how the Spaniard will transform the team into a ruthless passing machine with each of their moves being synchronized in perfect order.
In fact, Pep’s signature style of the ‘tiki-taka’ passing is what is primarily considered to be one of the biggest changes he has brought into the game during his years of management using it to devastating effect coupled with the other essential strategies at Catalonia and Bavaria. The first piece of Guardiola’s passing revolution is the goalkeeper. The manager demands his goalkeeper to be much more than a shot stopper, a perfect football player who can function as a sweeper-keeper mopping up the loose balls and playing passes into the feet of the outfield players in a perfect pre-outlined way which will ultimately travel via the other members of his team to the most advanced player on the pitch.
Recent reports suggests that veteran City custodian Joe Hart has been identified as his manager as someone who will not be able to carry out the role, in other words to be the kind of ‘Sweeper-Keeper’ Guardiola is looking for and will be first of the many big names leaving Etihad as misfits.
Joe Hart, has been a fan favourite at the Etihad, the Shot Stopper joined the Citizens in 2006 and after three loan spells got his chance to command a permanent place under Roberto Mancini in 2010. Since then the Englishman has been the undisputed number 1 at City for the last six years, helping the team to its first League title in 44 years. Hart won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup with the Citizens and his wonderful individual performances under the bars has seen him bag four Premier League Golden Glove Awards with three of them won consecutively from 2010-2013. He has been one of the most consistent and top performers of Manchester City in the last six years.
While, it’s a shame that Hart is not a part of Guardiola’s plans for the future, he is still one of the best keepers in the Premier League with huge experience something which has interested Everton. Just like the one underway at The Etihad, Ronald Koeman is on a mission of his own at Goodison.
The Dutch manager is determined to take The Toffees to the top once again. While attacking is always something the manager is known to improve, being a defender himself in his playing days, Koeman is fully aware that the defence needs to improve the most for his new club to offer him a solid base to work on. The capture of one of the finest shot-stoppers in the Premier League would be the perfect start to solidifying the faltering backline.
The inclusion of Joe Hart would not only allow Koeman to instantly improve his goalkeeping section but would also add to his team much needed experience, leadership, winning mentality while considerably boosting his own chances of restructuring the team which will be able to compete at the top level consistently having a good balance in the defence as well as the attack. Hart, might not be somebody fit to oversee the ‘Pep Guardiola Era’ at Manchester City, but he can very well be the one initiating the ‘Ronald Koeman Era’ at Goodison Park. Signing him will be no easy feat considering the competition Everton will face. But if they can get him, it’ll show how much of a force Everton could potentially be in the next year or so with the backing of Moshiri.
